Liquid material vaporizer and film deposition apparatus using the same

Abstract

The present invention is a liquid material vaporizer comprising a liquid-material supply part configured to make a liquid material into a droplet state and to discharge the same, and a vaporizing part configured to vaporize the liquid material in a droplet state so as to generate a source gas, the vaporizing part including: an inlet port to which the liquid material in a droplet state is introduced from the liquid-material supply part; a housing body of a bottomed tubular shape, the housing body having an opening end on a side of the inlet port; a columnar block having a flange for closing the opening end of the housing body, the columnar block being fitted in the housing body in such a manner that a gap serving as a vaporizing path is defined between the columnar block and an inside surface of the housing body; a breathable mist trap member disposed in the vaporizing path formed between the inside surface of the housing body and an outside surface of the columnar block, in such a manner that the mist trap member is in contact with the inside surface of the housing body and covers the outside surface of the columnar block; a heating part disposed to cover the housing body, the heating part being configured to heat the mist trap member through the housing body; a spout formed in the columnar block in such a manner that the spout is in communication with the inlet port, and passes through the columnar block from an end surface of the columnar block on the side of the inlet port to a side surface of the columnar block, the spout being configured to spout the liquid material in a droplet state, which has been introduced from the inlet port, toward an inside surface of the mist trap member; and an outlet port disposed in a bottom part of the housing body, the outlet port being configured to deliver a source gas generated by the mist trap member that vaporizes the liquid material in a droplet state in the vaporizing path.

1 . A liquid material vaporizer comprising a liquid-material supply part configured to make a liquid material into a droplet state and to discharge the same, and a vaporizing part configured to vaporize the liquid material in a droplet state so as to generate a source gas,
 the vaporizing part including:   an inlet port to which the liquid material in a droplet state is introduced from the liquid-material supply part;   a housing body of a bottomed tubular shape, the housing body having an opening end on a side of the inlet port;   a columnar block having a flange for closing the opening end of the housing body, the columnar block being fitted in the housing body in such a manner that a gap serving as a vaporizing path is defined between the columnar block and an inside surface of the housing body;   a breathable mist trap member disposed in the vaporizing path formed between the inside surface of the housing body and an outside surface of the columnar block, in such a manner that the mist trap member is in contact with the inside surface of the housing body and covers the outside surface of the columnar block;   a heating part disposed to cover the housing body, the heating part being configured to heat the mist trap member through the housing body;   a spout formed in the columnar block in such a manner that the spout is in communication with the inlet port, and passes through the columnar block from an end surface of the columnar block on the side of the inlet port to a side surface of the columnar block, the spout being configured to spout the liquid material in a droplet state, which has been introduced from the inlet port, toward an inside surface of the mist trap member; and   an outlet port disposed in a bottom part of the housing body, the outlet port being configured to deliver a source gas generated by the mist trap member that vaporizes the liquid material in a droplet state in the vaporizing path.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid material vaporizer according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a thickness of the mist trap member is smaller than a width of the vaporizing path, so that a gap in communication with the outlet port remains in the vaporizing path between the outside surface of the columnar block and the inside surface of the mist trap member.   
     
     
         3 . The liquid material vaporizer according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a thickness of the mist trap member is identical to a width of the vaporizing path, so that the mist trap member is disposed to fill the vaporizing path.   
     
     
         4 . The liquid material vaporizer according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the mist trap member is composed of an outside mist trap member in contact with the inside surface of the housing body, and an inside mist trap member in contact with the outside surface of the columnar block; and   a gap in communication with the outlet port remains in the vaporizing path between an inside surface of the outside mist trap member and an outside surface of the inside mist trap member.   
     
     
         5 . The liquid material vaporizer according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the spout is composed of a bottomed hole formed in the end surface of the columnar block on the side of the inlet port, and a plurality of through holes radially extending from the bottomed hole as a center toward the outside surface of the columnar block to pass therethrough.   
     
     
         6 . The liquid material vaporizer according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the respective through hoes are formed perpendicularly to an axial direction of the columnar block.   
     
     
         7 . The liquid material vaporizer according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the respective through holes are formed in an inclined manner with respect to an axial direction of the columnar block.   
     
     
         8 . The liquid material vaporizer according to  claim 5 , wherein
 plural sets of the through holes, each set being composed of the through holes arranged to radially extend from the bottomed hole as a center perpendicularly to an axial direction of the columnar block, are arranged along the axial direction of the columnar block.   
     
     
         9 . A liquid material vaporizer to be connected to another liquid material vaporizer configured to vaporize a liquid material so as to generate a source gas, the former liquid material vaporizer comprising:
 an inlet port to which the source gas generated by the latter liquid material vaporizer is introduced;   a housing body of a bottomed tubular shape, the housing body having an opening end on a side of the inlet port;   a columnar block having a flange for closing the opening end of the housing body, the columnar block being fitted in the housing body in such a manner that a gap serving as a vaporizing path is defined between the columnar block and an inside surface of the housing body;   a breathable mist trap member disposed in the vaporizing path formed between the inside surface of the housing body and an outside surface of the columnar block, in such a manner that the mist trap member is in contact with the inside surface of the housing body and covers the outside surface of the columnar block;   a heating part disposed to cover the housing body, the heating part being configured to heat the mist trap member through the housing body;   a spout formed in the columnar block in such a manner that the spout is in communication with the inlet port, and passes through the columnar block from an end surface of the columnar block on the side of the inlet port to a side surface of the columnar block, the spout being configured to spout the liquid material in a droplet state introduced from the inlet port toward an inside surface of the mist trap member; and   an outlet port disposed in a bottom part of the housing body, the outlet port being configured to deliver a source gas generated by the mist trap member that vaporizes the liquid material in a droplet state in the vaporizing path.   
     
     
         10 . A film deposition apparatus comprising a film deposition chamber configured to perform a film deposition process to a substrate to be processed by introducing thereinto a source gas from a liquid material vaporizer,
 the liquid material vaporizer comprising a liquid-material supply part configured to make a liquid material into a droplet state and to discharge the same, and a vaporizing part configured to vaporize the liquid material in a droplet state so as to generate a source gas, and   the vaporizing part including:   an inlet port to which the liquid material in a droplet state is introduced from the liquid-material supply part;   a housing body of a bottomed tubular shape, the housing body having an opening end on a side of the inlet port;   a columnar block having a flange for closing the opening end of the housing body, the columnar block being fitted in the housing body in such a manner that a gap serving as a vaporizing path is defined between the columnar block and an inside surface of the housing body;   a breathable mist trap member disposed in the vaporizing path formed between the inside surface of the housing body and an outside surface of the columnar block, in such a manner that the mist trap member is in contact with the inside surface of the housing body and covers the outside surface of the columnar block;   a heating part disposed to cover the housing body, the heating part being configured to heat the mist trap member through the housing body;   a spout formed in the columnar block in such a manner that the spout is in communication with the inlet port, and passes through the columnar block from an end surface of the columnar block on the side of the inlet port to a side surface of the columnar block, the spout being configured to spout the liquid material in a droplet state, which has been introduced from the inlet port, toward an inside surface of the mist trap member; and   an outlet port disposed in a bottom part of the housing body, the outlet port being configured to deliver a source gas generated by the mist trap member that vaporizes the liquid material in a droplet state in the vaporizing path.   
     
     
         11 . A film deposition apparatus comprising a film deposition chamber configured to perform a film deposition process to a substrate to be processed, by introducing thereinto a source gas from a liquid material vaporizer,
 the liquid material vaporizer comprising a first liquid material vaporizer configured to vaporize a liquid material so as to generate a source gas, and a second liquid material vaporizer connected to the first liquid material vaporizer, and   the second liquid material vaporizer including:   an inlet port to which the source gas generated by the first liquid material vaporizer is introduced;   a housing body of a bottomed tubular shape, the housing body having an opening end on a side of the inlet port;   a columnar block having a flange for closing the opening end of the housing body, the columnar block being fitted in the housing body in such a manner that a gap serving as a vaporizing path is defined between the columnar block and an inside surface of the housing body;   a breathable mist trap member disposed in the vaporizing path formed between the inside surface of the housing body and an outside surface of the columnar block, in such a manner that the mist trap member is in contact with the inside surface of the housing body and covers the outside surface of the columnar block;   a heating part disposed to cover the housing body, the heating part being configured to heat the mist trap member through the housing body;   a spout formed in the columnar block in such a manner that the spout is in communication with the inlet port, and passes through the columnar block from an end surface of the columnar block on the side of the inlet port to a side surface of the columnar block, the spout being configured to spout the liquid material in a droplet state introduced from the inlet port toward an inside surface of the mist trap member; and   an outlet port disposed in a bottom part of the housing body, the outlet port being configured to deliver a source gas generated by the mist trap member that vaporizes the liquid material in a droplet state in the vaporizing path.